Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  November 30, 2013 8:00am-10:01am PST

8:00 am
accidental call while talking to a hitman. sounds like out of the movies. you won't believe who was on the other end of the call. details coming right up. now, people may still be trapped inside a pub today after a police helicopter crashed into the roof. authorities say at least one person died in the crash last night in glasgow, scotland, but that number could go up. witnesses say the chopper dropped out of a skyline like a stone, right onto the roof, while a concert was going on inside the pub. richard quest has the latest from glasgow. >> reporter: miguel, the core question of how many people may still be buried in the wreckage behind, no one knows. all we've been told is that there was one confirmed fatal y fatality, but that that number is likely to rise. all night and into the morning, search and rescue efforts continued after a police helicopter crashed into the roof
8:01 am
of the pub filled with friday night revelers in glasgow, in scotland. a local member of parliament, jim murphy, said he arrived moments after the crash. >> most of the helicopter appeared to be inside the pub. there was only part of it protruding from the top. >> reporter: murphy says he saw at least ten people who were injured, including people who were struggling with consciousness, and others with bleeding wounds to the head. christina o'neil, who saw the crash from her apartment across the street, said she heard what sounded like a low-flying airplane. >> back in for a couple of seconds, and then i heard a massive crash. >> reporter: after the sounds of the impact, she saw smoke and people running from the pub. one witness, who was inside, reported not hearing the crash, because there was a band play g playing, and all of a sudden, there was a whooshing sound and a lot of dust that came down from the ceiling.
8:02 am
then, more of the ceiling fell, and people started running out. hours after the crash, the helicopter bearing the word "police" on its damaged tail was still smoldering. three people on board, two police officers and a civilian pilot. people remained trapped inside the pub. urban search and rescue experts are working so firefighters can get to the people trapped. the british prime minister david cameron tweeted about the situation, saying, my thoughts are with everyone affected by the helicopter crash in glasgow, and the emergency services working tonight. and so, miguel, the flags are at half-mast in scotland. and the country comes to terms with what the first minister is describing as a black day for the city and the country. miguel? >> thanks, richard quest, just awful. we do have some breaking news on that story.
8:03 am
scottish police say at least eight people have died in that crash now. we've also learned that the weather at the time of the crash was good, which is rare for scotland. the winds were light, and it was cold, but there was no rain or sleet. a mystery. very, very sad. the ntsb is investigating a small plane crash last night in alaska that killed four people, including the pilot. police say there were ten people on board. the others survived. there's no word on how those six people are doing at the moment. the cessna crashed in sw southwestern alaska near st. mary's village. and a plane went down in namibia, killing everyone on board. the wreckage was found near the border with angola. there were 34 people on board that plane. it's not clear why that plane crashed. and new images this morning of the california man being held in north korea.
8:04 am
this is merrill norman. the north korean government claims he was a spy during the korean war. it released video of newman reading his alleged confession letter. no word if he will be let go. newman had finished a ten-day tour of north korea when he was pulled off a plane on his way out of the country. another day, another deadline for the obama administration and its new health care program. the president's team says after the website's disastrous rollout two months ago, today's the day it's supposed to work smoothly for the vast majority of users. this is a live look now at healthcare.gov. technicians took it down overnight, about 11 hours, for maintenance. but it is back up now. c cnn's tory dunnan is live now. we're hours away from the deadline. it appears things may be working better with the website. is all well in washington, or are they preparing to fix this thing? >> reporter: wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall?
8:05 am
>> no. >> reporter: but in all seriousness, the latest is that the administration is on track to meet this self-imposed deadline, telling us that the site was shut down overnight for fixes, as well as updates. of course, we now know it's up and running. and here's what the goal will be in the next hours for this weekend. according to the white house, 50,000 people should be able to be on the site at the same time. we're told if there are any more users at any given time, the administration says they'll be putting in what's called a virtual queue. they'll get an e-mail that will tell them a better time to come back and try. also, in total, the goal is for some 800,000 users to go through successfully each day. and one of the questions is, does the public think this is going to be ready to roll? take a look at this, because a recent cnn/orc poll shows that people actually think things are going to get better. 54% of americans are saying, yes. the current problems facing the health care law will be solved. 45% say, no, it won't be solved. but miguel, i think this weekend will be kind of a big indicator about whether or not that actually happens.
8:06 am
>> absolutely. that's the big question. they're not releasing any statistics or metrics, as we call them in the biz, about how things have been going up until today. are they going to start releasing those into the future, and how will we really know when this thing is up and running smoothly for users? >> right. so we're going to have to talk to users, talk to tech experts, but basically, it's a little bit of a guessing game until the administration releases that information about whether or not it's working smoothly. in fact, here's what one tech expert has to say about this weekend. >> without having the internal metrics and status reports of what's going on on the website, we on the outside will not be able to tell. but the people who are in charge of the system will certainly know what the load is and will be trying to balance that properly across their different servers. as an outsider, we're not going to be privy to that information. >> all right. so the administration is not expected to release those numbers right away, but, miguel,
8:07 am
we are told that there's going to be a conference call with reporters tomorrow, and jeffrey zions, the man that the president put in charge of things to turn everything around, is going to be on that call. so hopefully, that is when we'll get the questions answered about whether or not this is running at that level they want it to be running. >> big, big stakes and a lot of people relying on it. thanks very much for keeping track of it all. >> reporter: sure. black friday is over, but retailers are still trying to get even more shoppers into the stores this holiday weekend. unfortunately, we've also been seeing a bit of this. [ shouts ] brawls broke out on black friday. police in odessa, texas, had to use pepper spray over a display of tablets and headphones. in tampa, a woman confronted a man videotaping her on his phone. of course, a fight broke out. alexandra field is at columbus circle in new york with her -- with her fists out, ready to go. alexandra, things seem calm there, don't they? not as much craziness as yesterday, right? >> reporter: thankfully -- right, thankfully, miguel, the
8:08 am
crazy crush of shoppers is behind us. you know, it's that time of year, and people are still going at it. fortunately, the scene here in columbus circle, is more civilized than what we saw yesterday. take a look at some video recorded at 2:30 on friday morning. it shows you the very worst of black friday shopping. [ shouts ] and what you are looking at here, these are two women in a philadelphia mall fighting and brawling with each other. when one pulls out a stun gun, nearby shoppers stop to watch. they thought they had seen everything before, but they'd never seen anything quite like this. >> i was definitely taken back for it, because everybody's out, you know, trying to save money, and shop for everybody, and get stuff for themselves. and you just doesn't think people are going to do stuff like that. i always wonder, what drives somebody to get in a fight like that. you don't just walk away.
8:09 am
it's the holidays, everybody has to get along. >> reporter: and that chaos continued at some big-box stores across the country. there were fistfights in north carolina, in virginia police arrested two men in a walmart parking lot. one had a knife cut on his arm, the other was arrested for threatening that man with a knife and a rifle. and in las vegas, there was a shooter -- a shooting after one person tried to steal another person's holiday deal. again, the shopping still continues. a lot of time left before christmas, but we're hoping those are some of the ugliest scenes of the holiday season. miguel? >> there is something ironic about the day of thanksgiving where everybody sits down to give thanks for all they have, and then get in a fight the next day. i was at lennox mall here in atlanta, it was madness, but everybody was incredibly well behaved, except, of course, for me, who rushed through to get what they wanted. what are the numbers like there, alexandra? >> reporter: right, we can't give everyone a bad rap, because there are 140 million people
8:10 am
expected to shop between black friday and sunday. together, between the months of november and december, shoppers will spend a whopping $600 billion, and $80 billion will be spent through online retailers. if you wanted to sit home, if you wanted to miss out on the black friday madness, anything that follow, cyber monday is around the corner. miguel? >> oh, cyber monday, we love it. all right, thank you very much. well, it looks heartwarming, a charity granting wishes for sick children. but behind closed doors, its spending is raising eyebrows. plus, it's times up for healthcare.gov, but even if the website works properly, the insurance work for people who want it? the real stories from people who are trying to sign up. r. my employer matches my charitable giving. really. i get bonuses even working part-time. where i work, over 400 people are promoted every day.
8:11 am
healthcare starting under $40 a month. i got education benefits. i work at walmart. i'm a pharmacist. sales associate. i manage produce. i work in logistics. there's more to walmart than you think. vo: opportunity. that's the real walmart. i have a big meeting when we land, but i am so stuffed up, i can't rest. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu liquid gels don't unstuff your nose. they don't? alka seltzer plus night fights your worst cold symptoms, plus has a decongestant. [ inhales deeply ] oh. what a relief it is.
8:12 am
8:13 am
the countdown is on to president obama's deadline to have the obama care website fixed for the vast majority of users.
8:14 am
most of the big problems are supposed to be repaired by midnight tonight. still, some people are finding the new health care law is not a fix for what ails them, especially if their doctor doesn't take their plan. cnn's casey winen introduces us to one los angeles patient who says he's become a victim of obama care. >> i thought it was a great idea. >> reporter: tom harris is a 62-year-old self-employed handyman, who had high hopes for obama care. >> my expectations were that it would actually enhance my existing health care plan. >> reporter: how has it worked out for you so far? >> that wasn't the case. i was notified my plan would be ended at the end of this year, in december. i was very surprised. >> reporter: harris suffers from debilitating allergies. he's seeing a specialist. dr. robert ichis at cedars-sinai medical center in los angeles, at least until january 1st, when his bill would go up. >> i know if i go see him, it's completely out of network, and it does not apply against my deductible. so it's really out of network.
8:15 am
it's almost in another orbit. >> reporter: the new obama care compliant plan being offered by harris' current health insurance company will actually cost him $5 a less month, but four of his five doctors are no longer in that network. >> i've had patients come to me, saying, please do whatever you need to do, because i don't know if i'll be able to come back to see you after december 31st. >> reporter: he says 10% of his patients now must either find new doctors or pay steep out-of-pocket costs. >> it's mind numbing. it's mind numbing. >> reporter: even for dr. ichis, less than six weeks before obama care takes effect, he doesn't know which if any insurance plans he'll accept. he has already stopped taking medicare. >> honestly, what i may think about is not taking any insurance at all. i have a lot of patients who have been seeing me for over 20 years, and we have a bond. it would be sad to lose those patients. the. >> reporter: for harris, obama care has meant fewer choices and headaches. untreatable by presidential
8:16 am
apologies. >> it's just so beyond it. i certainly wish him well, but the situation i find myself in, the dynamic i find myself in, is a real struggle. >> reporter: casey winen, cnn, los angeles. >> for every bad story, there's at least one good one. not everyone is having the same problems. they don't think it's a bad deal. i spoke with one insured california couple who told me the website was easy to use and the new insurance plan cost them less than they ever expected. today, kate and justin leaper aren't insured. come january 1st, that'll change. >> i recently changed jobs. so i took a contract position where i don't have benefits. >> reporter: keeping up that previous insurance would have cost $1,500 a month. too much. she tried private insurers, but the application process, onerous. you'd have to fill out paperwork? >> not just paperwork, but trying to remember every doctor's visit you've had. for the last year.
8:17 am
and every, like, procedure or major issue you've had for the last ten years. >> reporter: and another problem for the 35-year-old. uber healthy writer, actor, stuntman, and husband, justin? you are a vegetarian. >> yeah, no meat, no dairy, never had coffee, don't drink soda, no alcohol. no drugs. work out four times a week. >> reporter: he's a bit of a medical mystery, suffering a condition doctors so far can't diagnose. >> and that was usually enough for them to say, you know, we can't cover you. >> reporter: so they logged onto cover california. >> announcer: welcome to cover california. >> reporter: 10,000 californians now signing up daily. >> i didn't have to know a whole lot. i just put in some basic information, our social security numbers, our birth dates. >> reporter: the website working as advertised presented them 30 insurance options. what's it going to cost you? >> right, about $500 a month, less than that. >> reporter: for both of you?
8:18 am
>> for both of us. >> reporter: the actual quote, $467. what does it feel like to know you are covered? >> it's a relief. >> reporter: now, waiting for their first bill, they say the real test for obama care, the day they'll need to use it. now, of course, anything created in washington has politics behind it. that won't come as a shock to you. the health care law is no different. coming up next, we'll unravel the politics behind the law, and we'll find out if obama care and obama himself can survive the politics of washington. e things? all we do is go out to dinner. that's it? i mean, he picks up the tab every time, which is great...what? he's using you. he probably has a citi thankyou card and gets 2x the points at restaurants. so he's just racking up points with me. some people... ugh! no, i've got it. the citi thankyou preferred card.
8:19 am
now earn 2x the points on dining out and entertainment, with no annual fee.to apply, go to citi.com/thankyoucards
8:20 am
♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills.
8:21 am
8:22 am
today is the day the white house says the problems with the obama health care website will be fixed for the vast majority of users, but will this fix the president ease agenda? joining us to talk about it, someone from both sides of the political spectrum, crystal white, editor of blackchick.kochl. blog. and peter fin is advisor to al gore. first question to you, peter, if this thing works, is it a blip on the radar, or does the president have bigger problems down the road? >> well. i think if this works, it will solve a lot of problems for a lot of democrats.
8:23 am
there's no question about it. you know, the proof is in the pudding, miguel. the question really is, will we get over this hump with the website, and then, will people sign up? and right now, we're finding that a third of those signing up are between the ages of 18 to 5 35, which is basically what folks want, is a lot of young people to sign up for this program. >> yeah. crystal, it's been just head-smacking how poorly this thing was done. i want to show you the "new yorker" cover from a couple of weeks ago. he's been lambasted, a geek putting a floppy disk, and obama on a cell phone from 1920, or something. [ laughter ] crystal, do you share peter's optimism? do you think this is a blip on the radar? or is everyone in the democratic party going to pay in 2016? >> well, you know, yeah, yeah, 12014, you mean. >> yeah. >> i share -- i share -- peter and i were talking about this a
8:24 am
little bit before we got on air, and peter's right. you know, a lot is riding on obama care and getting it fixed. i'm not as optimistic as peter that it's going to be fixed. i mean, let's face it, guys, there's been delays out of the wazoo for this thing. first, the president delayed the individual mandate. now we find out small businesses won't be able to go online and enroll until, what, another delay, a year. so for the president to really go down in history as achieving something, he'll have to make obama care work. and if he doesn't, remember, this is his only piece of legislation, his only policy piece really that he's been able to accomplish in the first term, and we know he's lame duck right now. so i think it's d-day, it's do or die, and when you say vast majority of users, miguel, that's not everybody. so it's just, you know, a lot of holes in it. i'm not optimistic that we're not going to see the website crash, healthcare.gov crash again come monday. or tomorrow.
8:25 am
december 1st. >> crystal, sticking with you for a second, we have another fiscal deadline coming up in the new year. do you think republicans are going to push that again, or are they going to stick with bashing obama on health care? >> right, right. well, peter will probably agree with me on this. you know, we, as republicans, have been given a gift with the failure of obama care, the rollout, if you will. and we always manage to screw up these gifts we are given from democrats oen a silver platter. i mean, the government shutdown. it didn't have to go like that. so i hope my republican brethren have learned a lesson and they won't shut down the government again. i don't think they will in january. but i don't think we're going to achieve a massive budget deal, either. i think we're going to have another continuing resolution. i think the sequester will continue. i mean, i just don't see -- you know, they're not going to shut it down again, right, guys? >> pretty rosy scenario. peter, peter, she has spoke to you. >> look, i think -- look, i think the republicans, ted cruz notwithstanding, have gotten somewhat smarter on this.
8:26 am
look, at this point, when the president pardons this thanksgiving turkey, or when he lights the christmas tree in a week or so, they're going to say this is a diversion from obama care. that he doesn't want to talk about obama care. >> right. >> so i think that, you know, basically, both crystal and i have the same sense, which is that if this -- if this does get fixed, if it does have a good rollout in the next year -- look, bill clinton said, you know, with this kind of complicated program, you know, you'll fix it year one, you'll fix it in year two, you'll fix it in year three, and that's what we're seeing. but you need the public to appreciate what's happening, to be positive about it, not negative. so that's -- that's the big political question for the next 12 months. >> and very quickly, then, does this really affect the 2014 midterms? because there are very few seats up for grabs. peter? >> well, i think it could, yes, absolutely. i mean, look, i will say as a
8:27 am
democrat, if this goes down in flames, if everybody is furious at obamas, if his numbers where george bush's were at the end of his term, we have trouble with the house, and the senate is tough, too. >> crystal, you disagree? >> no, peter and i are agreeing a lot. the democrats will be in real trouble in 2014 if obama care doesn't rise up, okay, and actually work. >> all right. all right. thank you very much, both of you. and a happy thanksgiving. >> you, too. >> happy thanksgiving. the president has to worry about obama care working properly, he's also looking ahead to what life might be like after he leaves the white house. last night, president obama told barbara walters the family may stay in washington when his tour ends, and that's because his youngest daughter will still be in high school. >> -- still be in high school. >> a sophomore in high school. >> sow may want to stay in washington because of sasha? i don't want to pin you down -- >> let's put it this way. sasha will have a big vote, and obviously, they, michelle, made
8:28 am
a lot of sacrifices. my cockamamy ideas of running for office and things. >> sasha has the votes. coming up in the 3:00 hour, we will talk with expert on first families, that's at 3:00 eastern right here on cnn. next, the latest from glasgow, on the helicopter crash into a scottish pub. this is the quicksilver cash back card from capital one. it's not the "limit the cash i earn every month" card. it's not the "i only earn decent rewards at the gas station" card. it's the no-games, no-signing up, everyday-rewarding, kung-fu-fighting, silver-lightning-in-a-bottle, bringing-home-the-bacon cash back card. this is the quicksilver card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day.
8:29 am
so ask yourself, what's in your wallet? but i didn't want her towait see my psoriasis. single day. no matter how many ways i try to cover up, my psoriasis keeps showing up. all her focus is on me. but with these dry, cracked, red, flaky patches, i'm not sure if i want it to be. this is more than uncomfortable, it's unacceptable. visit psoriasis.com where you can get refusing to hide, a free guide filled with simple strategies for living well with psoriasis. learn more at psoriasis.com and talk to your dermatologist. no, i'm good. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, you celebrate a little win. nicorette mini delivers fast craving relief in just 3 minutes. double your chances of quitting with nicorette mini. ♪ [ male announcer ] the parking lot helps by letting us know who's coming. the carts keep everyone on the right track.
8:30 am
the power tools introduce themselves. all the bits and bulbs keep themselves stocked. and the doors even handle the checkout so we can work on that thing that's stuck in the thing. [ female announcer ] today, cisco is connecting the internet of everything. so everyone goes home happy. you really love, what would you do?" ♪ [ woman ] i'd be a writer. [ man ] i'd be a baker. [ woman ] i wanna be a pie maker. [ man ] i wanna be a pilot.
8:31 am
[ woman ] i'd be an architect. what if i told you someone could pay you and what if that person were you? ♪ when you think about it, isn't that what retirement should be, paying ourselves to do what we love? ♪ welcome back. hope you're enjoying a turkey and cranberry sandwich, one of my personal favorites. . eight people have been killed after a police helicopter crashed into a pub there earlier today in scotland. there was confirmation of only one death.
8:32 am
richard quest has the latest from glasgow, scotland. >> reporter: miguel, according to one of scotland's most senior politicians, this was the news they'd been dreading, but expecting. having spent most of the day with only one person confirmed dead, everybody knew that the number of fatalities would rise, and now they're saying eight people perished last night. nor are they able to say whether that is the final total. because, as the head of police scotland put it, the helicopter is in the middle of the building, and until they can remove it, they don't really know what's underneath. removing the helicopter will be an extremely difficult it, complex, and intricate operation. the building is unstable, and they want to ensure the maximum safety before they try any further operations. finding out what happened and why the helicopter fell out of the sky in such a disastrous way last night, again, the police described that as a sensitive
8:33 am
and complex investigation, one that will take many weeks, if not months. tonight, though, in scotland, the people are mourning the fact that eight people perished. the number may go higher, and flags in the country are at half-mast. miguel? >> thank you very much to richard quest. we still don't know whether there was any mayday from this helicopter before it went down. terrible. the u.s. is offering to take the most lethal parts of syria's chemical weapons stockpile. and destroy them at sea. paid for by the u.s. operation is expected to happen aboard a u.s. navy ship. the chemicals will be diluted to safer levels, using a process call eed hydrolysis. giving to people in need is a priority for many over the holiday season. charities get a major portion of the donations between thanksgiving and christmas, but some of the groups make better use of the donations than others. drew griffin takes us on an i
8:34 am
in-depth look at a charity that uses a tiny portion of the funds to actually help children. >> incredibly frustrating. >> reporter: these former employees say they're afraid of showing their faces because they're afraid of getting sued for telling the truth behind the kids' wish network. the charity raises millions and millions of dollars, 22 million just last year, according to its most recent tax filing. but uses less than 3% of that cash to fulfill wishes of sick children. the kids wish network does fulfill wishes, but these employees say, not by buying them with cash. the trips, the airline ticket, the amusement park tickets are all donated. and that includes the toys and school supplies and clothes given away when kids wish network holds events for sick children. >> it was whatever we had in the warehouse, we would try to fit it to that age group that we were giving it to. >> reporter: and was it basically companies' leftovers?
8:35 am
>> yes. that's what it seemed like, yeah. >> reporter: so what happens to all of the actual donated money? in ten years, kids wish network raised $127 million, and nearly 90% of that money went to professional fund-raisers, not sick kids. the sick kids, they got at most 2.5 cents of every dollar raised. the charity's attorney insists there is nothing illegal about the fund-raising. maybe not. but this former marketing associate says there was something wrong to him about how they did it. at events where sick children were given the surplus goods, his job was to photograph those kids for promotional purposes, and he was told the sicker, the better. >> they wanted the most sick kids. and i could understand a little bit where they were going with that, but my view was that maybe you should show the kids being satisfied by it, not necessarily only showing the upset and sad kids. that was my thought, that was my thought process. just never was heard. >> reporter: so they wanted sick
8:36 am
kids? >> mm-hmm. that's what will make them the money. >> reporter: and who told you that? >> dana. >> reporter: the boss? >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: the boss? anna runs the charity we rated as the worst in the united states. and, no, she's not talking. hi, anna? drew griffin with cnn. >> hi, drew, nice to see you. >> reporter: nice to see you. can we just ask you some questions about all of the ratings that have come out -- >> no, i'm sorry, there's been so many misleading reports that have been made, that we've asked our attorneys to take a look into everything, and i'm not going to be doing any interviews, but thank you. >> reporter: bad press is nothing new to kids wish network. local newschannels in the tampa area have done several reports. last year, the city of savannah, georgia, cancel add kids wish network event, after savannah's mayor criticized the charity practices. but still, people give. millions and millions. believing their dollars are going to help sick children, when, in truth, it is literally pennies of those dollars being
8:37 am
used. does it surprise you that after all of the reporting done on this group, they're still in business? >> absolutely. >> it surprises me every single day. >> reporter: drew griffin, cnn, spurri st. petersburg, florida. >> amazing. it doesn't get better than this, alabama versus auburn. a preview next in "bleacher report." hey kevin...still eating chalk for heartburn?
8:38 am
yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are good. told ya! i'm feeling better already. [ male announcer ] new alka seltzer fruits chews. enjoy the relief! to help secure retirements and protect financial futures. to help communities recover and rebuild. for companies going from garage to global. on the ground, in the air, even into space. we repaid every dollar america lent us.
8:39 am
and gave america back a profit. we're here to keep our promises. to help you realize a better tomorrow. from the families of aig, happy holidays.
8:40 am
8:41 am
well, november's been a record for the stocks. the dow passed 16,000 for the first time ever, and the dow crossed the 4,000 mark for the first time in years. what's it mean for your pocketbook? let's turn to alison kosik in new york. >> reporter: hi, miguel. it's been a stellar week for stocks, even with the short week, because of the thanksgiving holiday, stocks climbed to record highs. the nasdaq passed the 4,000 mark for the first time in 13 years, and both the dow and the s&p 500 hit new highs. but americans aren't feeling the wealth. a new cnn/orc poll finds 59% think things are going badly in the country, and 39% believe the economy is still in a downturn. holiday shopping is now in full swing. stores open their doors for black friday, even earlier this
8:42 am
year, many on thanksgiving night. an estimated 140 million people are shopping this weekend. and people are also shopping for homes. home prices continued to climb in the third quarter, up 11% year over year. and men's wearhouse is bidding $55 a share for jos. a. bank. earlier this month, it was the smaller rival, jos. a. bank, trying to buy men's wearhouse. alison kosik, cnn, new york. >> thanks, alison. the nfl is trying to determine if the coach of the pittsburgh steelers crossed the line by getting a little too close to the action. jared greenberg is with us with the "bleacher report" this morning. what's going on there? >> reporter: well, a ballerina or a gymnast, not likely in the future of mike tomlin. you know, with a few less dollars in his bank account, that's probably more realistic future of mike tomlin these days. nfl reportedly looking into tomlin coming so close to
8:43 am
interfering with ravens ' jacobi jones. now in the seventh year, and we say that because he's not a rookie on the sidelines. mike tomlin said he got caught up watching the jumbotron. he wasn't flagged on the field for a penalty. however, the league could levy a fine or even a suspension. we'll keep our eye on that. the biggest college football game of the year is now less than four hours away. the iron bowl doesn't need the pomp and circumstance to draw the attention of locals and fans. however, for the first time in this tradition-rich rivalry, alabama and auburn will meet as number one versus number four. the winner punches a ticket to the bcs championship game. alabama doesn't like auburn, and auburn has no love lost for 'bama, and you know it doesn't get any better than that, miguel. trending right now on bleacherreport.com, the bobcats have done enough to harm fans over the years. last night, henderson may have taken it too far.
8:44 am
no teammate within a mile of henderson's pass, and a fan gets drilled in the head. she have would be okay. just a physical bruise to go along with the emotional scars of routing for the bobcats, but henderson reached out via twitter, wroting, nailed the lady tonight with a pass. if you follow me on twitter, please tweet me, i know that hurt, i'm not that good of a passer. i am so sorry. [ laughter ] henderson known more as a scorer, miguel, not as much as a passer. >> i don't know if a tweet will work. nailing a lady may not have been the best choice of words. >> no, she was checked by -- she looked like she got clocked. >> yeah, at first, it looked scary. >> went down, as well. >> medical personnel came over, and we found/by talking to the bobcats, she returned to her seat and watched the entire game from her seat. >> thank you very much. >> you got it. enjoy the football saturday. >> uh-huh, a good one. it's a technology, oops,
8:45 am
we've all probably experienced in the past. but this case led to an arrest. >> i've been here now for 25 years. i never recall a time to when a subject has accidentally, if you will, butt-dialled someone, they're either trying to commit a crime against or the possible victim of a crime. >> oh, the butt-dialing. wait until you hear what the alleged crime was. the story just moments away. i started part-time, now i'm a manager.n. my employer matches my charitable giving. really. i get bonuses even working part-time. where i work, over 400 people are promoted every day. healthcare starting under $40 a month. i got education benefits. i work at walmart. i'm a pharmacist. sales associate. i manage produce. i work in logistics. there's more to walmart than you think. vo: opportunity. that's the real walmart. it's hard to see opportunity in today's challenging environment.
8:46 am
unless you have the right perspective. bny mellon wealth management has the vision and experience to look beyond the obvious. we'll uncover opportunities, find hidden risk, and make success a reality. bny mellon wealth management.
8:47 am
[knock] no one was at home, but on the kitchen table sat three insurance policies. the first had lots of coverage. the second, only a little. but the third was... just right! bear: hi! yeah, we love visitors. that's why we moved to a secluded house in the middle of the wilderness. just the right coverage at just the right price. coverage checker from progressive.
8:48 am
favorite story of the week here. can you imagine getting a phone call and hearing someone plotting to kill you? an arkansas man said that happened to him. allison mun of kait in jonesboro, arkansas, has the story. >> reporter: jonesboro police
8:49 am
say unbeknownst to larry barnett, he let police in on detail on a hitman. the police department says it started when barnett, who owns legend motor company on south stadium boulevard accidentally called his former employee. >> and basically, he overheard a conversation between that individual and another unknown male, in that he was giving out his personal information, his address, where he lives. >> reporter: according to the probable cause affidavit, barnett told the supposed hit n hitman, "i don't care if you have to burn his house to the ground with him in it. make it look like an accident." from there, the target called jpd, but since he lives in green county, they were called in to assist. when they arrived at the intended target's home, the call had been going on for an hour and a half. >> conversation on the phone had ended but the phone call was still active to cell phone pf
8:50 am
seems it didn't take long for the hit man to act so he would pay this man $5,000 up front and the remainder when the job was done. his reasoning behind the murder for hire plot? the target says he overheard barnett said i owe the little son of a blank a bunch of money and if he's gone i don't have to pay it. during an interview with police, barnett admitted to mistakenly calling the admitted victim as well as discussing the phone number and address to that man. >> i never recall a time in 25 years when a subject has accidentally, if you will, butt-dialed someone they're trying to commit something against and accidentally called them. new york i've never seen that happen.
8:51 am
>> criminals aren't exactly brilliant, but we have two brilliant legal experts with us, avery freeman and richard herman. how are you guys? . >> hey, miguel. >> richard, ever heard anything like this before? >> you know, miguel, in the book of moron, this is absolutely chapter number 1. i have never heard of this before. sometimes you hear about it with spouses or loved ones cheating on the other ones they pick up conversations. this is insanity. you've got conspiracy to commit murder here. when the attorneys not readily available for comment, that's a good sign there's a big problem and there is one now. >> avery, does it sound like an open and shut butt case, something, i don't know. >> nice one. must be a variation because if that guy -- if larry barnett had that phone in his back pocket it would have been pulverized. 90 minutes, the elements of conspiracy, two or more,
8:52 am
planning to commit a murder, one an overt act. they meet the definition. whether it's open and shut remains to be seen but man, oh, man it looks like a strong one. >> it's open and shut. >> i'd hate to be the against attorney. guys, don't move. we have more coming up from another stunning story. a company has gone after a woman for writing a negative review online. they're trying to make her pay literally. the family of an 11-year-old amish girl with leukemia is in hiding. they've been a legal battle when the parents stopped their daughter's chemo treatments and using alternative medicine instead. as nick valencia reports, they're now claiming she is cancer-free. >> reporter: can holistic medicine cure cancer? the ohio family of an 11-year-old amish girl with leukemia says yes, according to their attorney. >> the alternative treatments they've been pursuing have been very effective. she's had cat scans down and
8:53 am
those show that the cancer has significantly receded or may even be gone. >> reporter: but doctors at akron's children's hospital may not get the chance to see if she's cancer-free. why? the family is now in hiding, refusing to comply with a court order to treat their daughter with conventional medicine. her last chemotherapy treatment was in june. doctors say if she's not treated again soon, she'll likely die. >> at this point, we don't know to what extent the disease has become more aggressive or whether we really did get a little bit of a stall with the first round of chemotherapy. with treatment, it would be continuous from the time she presented, she has an 85% p chance of five year survival. >> reporter: the girl's daughfa says her future is god as hands. >> our belief is natural stuff will do as much as what that does if it's god's will. >> reporter: born and raised in
8:54 am
amish country, the family of the 11-year-old has not been seen since this sum her. their lawyer says they left the u.s. to pursue alternative treatment abroad. she says it comes down to a parent's right not just a constitutional right but the moral right to refuse conventional medical treatment that carry their own risks that may be as great as the harm from the disease itself. >> if we do chemotherapy and she would happen to die, she would probably suffer more if we do it this way and she dies. >> with no proven track record of success, doctors say the little girl's time is running out. miguel, the attorney for the family will be on at 2:00 p.m. lots of request he questions t. coming up next, one woman's amazing story of her near-death experience. hear what happens when she lay dying of cancer in icu.
8:55 am
h her riveting account next. the snoot the chief life officer. ♪ i use my citi thankyou card to get 2x the points at the coffee shop.at the office,
8:56 am
which will help me get to a beach in miami and they'll be stuck at the cube farm. the citi thankyou preferred card. now earn 2x the points dining out, with no annual fee. go to citi.com/thankyoucards ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. you're history. selsun blue itchy dry scalp. gets to the root of dandruff and hydrates the scalp. selsun blue itchy dry scalp.
8:57 am
8:58 am
. well, everyone has their own vision of what heaven might be. over my shoulder, you see how the director of the film "resurrection" sees it. tomorrow anderson cooper has the story of those who say they've seen it. a woman in the final throes of stage 4 lymphoma. her dramatic story is one of three told in the ac special report "to heaven and back." ra randi kaye has more. >> p how was your husband reacting to you being in this coma and he thought he was losing you? >> he was very distraught. he was there by my bedside. he was holding my hand. i could feel he was willing me to come back. >> and you had a choice to
8:59 am
make-i had a choice as to whether to come back or not. at first, i absolutely did not want to come back because why would i want to come back into this sick and dying body? but then it was as though in the next moment i understood why i had the cancer. all the years of beating myself up, feeling flawed, had turned my own energy against me and manifested as cancer. >> fear in a way poisoned your body. >> yes, it did. and i understood that now that i knew this, my body would heal. >> you had this huge revelation and soni and your father both affirmed what needed to be done. >> both of them said to me, go back and live your life fearlessly. and it was around that time that i started to come back. >> so how long were you in the
9:00 am
coma? >> about 30 hours. will i was in the intensive care unit, but within four days they were able to take off the oxygen, take out the food tube, and the tumor had shrunk by 70%. >> and the doctors, they kept testing you, right? >> yeah. >> p they kept looking for cancer, they kept treating you. >> they were saying there's no way that cancer disappears like that. >> "to heaven and back" an anderson cooper special report airs tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. we have much more ahead in the "newsroom" and that all starts right now. hello there. it is high noon out here on the east coast, 9:00 a.m. in the
9:01 am
wild, wild west. i'm miguel marquez. these are the top stories we're following in the "cnn newsroom" right now. eight people dead so far after a police helicopter crashes into the roof of a pub. now the search for survivors. hear what witnesses say they saw in the moments before impact, coming up next. it's the obama care's own midnight deadline to the web site. can it be fixed and will it work for everyone? a live report moments away. and china scrambling fighter jets to monitor u.s. activity in its newly declared air defense zone. the pentagon saying it's not going anywhere. the latest between the face-off between washington and beijing, coming up. at least eight people have died after a police helicopter crashed into a pub in scotland. investigators have been searching since the crash last night for any survivors. they said people were trapped
9:02 am
inside the pub. the helicopter smashed into the roof as a concert was going on inside. richard quest has the latest from glasgow. >> reporter: miguel, according to one of scotland's most senior politicians, this was the news they had been dreading but expecting. having spent most of the day with only one person confirmed dead, everybody knew that the number of fatalities would rise, and now they're saying eight people perished last night. nor are they able to say whether that is the final total because, as the head of police scotland put it, the helicopter is in the middle of the building. and until they can remove it, they don't really know what's underneath. removing the helicopter will be an extremely difficult, complex, and intricate operation. the building is unstable, and they want to ensure maximum safety before they try any further operations. finding out what happened, why the helicopter fell out of the
9:03 am
sky in such a disastrous way last night, again, the police describe that as a sensitive and complex investigation, one that will take many weeks if not months. tonight, though, in scotland, the people are mourning the fact that eight people perished. the number may go higher, and flags in the country are at half-mast. migu miguel? >> thank you very much, richard. we've also learned that the weather was good last night at the time of that crash. the ntsb is investigating a small plane crash in alaska that killed four people including the pilot. ten people were on board and the others survived. there's no word on how the other six are doing. it crashed near st. mary's village in southwest alaska. a plane went down in namibia. it was headed for angola. there were 34 people on board.
9:04 am
it is not clear why the plane crashed. back in this country, the white house and other obama staffers have their fingers crossed. they're hoping that most of the problems with the obama p care web site will be fixed by midnight tonight. that's just under 12 hours from now, and president obama has said the web site should work fine for the vast majority of users. we are keeping track of the vast majority in washington. the deadline is approaching, but do we really expect to see improvement on the web site by midnight? >> p m . >> quite honest list, we'll have to just wait to see what we expect to see. the administration says so far so good. they're saying with the scheduled upgrades last night and tonight, the one that's are coming, they're on track to meet the goal this weekend. the white house has said that the site should work for the vast majority of use hers, a
9:05 am
promise we've heard time and time again. here's president obama just this week. >> this web site is going to get fixed, and we are going to be signing people up and we're going to make sure that everybody in california and everybody in america who needs health care is it going to get it. we just keep going. we don't stop. >> we'll see how it works out. let's break down what this means. according to the administration, the goal is for 50,000 people to be on the site at the same time. if there are any more users than that at any given time, people will be put in a virtual queue they'll later receive an e-mail telling them of a better time to try. also, in total, they're saying some 800,000 users will be able to go through the site each day. miguel, those are just some of the benchmarks we are looking at but we're also waiting for word from the administration that they have hit those benchmarks, likely to tomorrow. >> we know they took it down for
9:06 am
11 hours overnight, they'll take it down another 4 hours going into sunday. do we know if today it's mebt to be running the way it will run tomorrow? do we think what we're seeing today we may see tomorrow? >> you know this is really tricky. basically as reporters we're waiting for the administration it to release those numbers. we they're holding a conference call tomorrow. the administration says this is not a relaunch of the site. we could see more problems along the way. also important to point out, even if the site is determined to be functioning smoothly, insurance insiders are telling cnn there might be problems on the back end of the site. they say some customers' personal data is getting lost, mangled. we'll is to see what the fixes are and what exactly they cover today, tomorrow and in the next few days. >> such a complicated thing. tory, thank you very much. a woman who was facing 20 years in prison is now out. her case has been put on the
9:07 am
stand your ground law in the spotlight. we break down her chances in a new trial, but next new restricted area creating tension between the u.s., japan and china. why the pentagon is saying no to a no fly zone.
9:08 am
9:09 am
9:10 am
new images for you now of that california man being held in north korean. this is merrill norman, the government claims he was a spy during the korean war. it released video of newman reading his alleged confession letter. no word if he'll be let go. newman had finished a ten-day tour of north korea when he was pulled off a plane on his way out of the country. a detailed report at 1:00 p.m. the u.s. won't stop military flights into china's newly declared air defense zone, but you it is advising commercial airlines to comply with it.
9:11 am
the decisions coming despite china's decision to have fighter jets monitor american and japanese planes. pentagon correspondent barbara starr reports. >> miguel, the pentagon is emphasizing it is not trying to escalate tensions with china, that these flights into this restricted zone by the u.s. military are routine, scheduled flights. it's what the u.s. military does out in the pacific. for its part, china's rhetoric continues to be pretty frosty. they're saying they will continue to monitor any flights coming into this zone and that they may try and send their fighters up again to intercept the planes to identify them. the frosty rhetoric aside, the real question may be how long china can keep this up. they don't have a lot of midair refuelling capability. their radar warning aircraft are few. it's going to be hard for them to continue to monitor this zone. that's something the u.s. is
9:12 am
going to watch very carefully. now,s vice president joe biden set to arrive in beijing to sit down and talk with chinese officials p abo s about all of . administration officials say biden will ask the chinese straight out, what are your intentions? what are you trying to do here? biden will try to, of course, deescalate all of this. the u.s. says added maadamantly not believe china is look forge a military confrontation over the disputed air space but the worry in the coming days and weeks if they send up more of their own aircraft there could be some kind of miscalculation, some kind of accident, and that tensions may only rise further. miguel? >> barbara, thank you very much. the stand your ground law under the microscope. here's a case where it plays a big role. marissa alexander claims she shot at her husband in self-defense. will she be able to save herself from a possible 20-year prison sentence?
9:13 am
that's next. but first, the holiday season has officially begun and tomorrow night we're celebrating the top ten heroes of the year and their work helping others it's our own holiday tradition, "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute." one of those recognized, dell beatty, a disabled iraq war veter veter veteran. he decided to pay it forward and now he helps injured veterans of all generations get the welcome home they deserve. here is a look. >> all veterans have been taught to be responsible for the guy to your left and the guy to your right. and no matter what, you're going to bat for them, if they need you. we wouldn't leave one of our soldier behind on the battlefield, but we do it so often here at home. i did three tours in vietnam.
9:14 am
my injuries include my right leg, left elbow, and lower back. for 35 years no one cared. >> every war is forgotten when the next war starts. people welcome me home and say they love us and that i'm their hero. i knew after meeting other veterans that wasn't the case for all of us. these other guys who struggle, they need a hand up. it's my mission to help other veterans get the support and the homes they need from their communities. this is the young man, why we're all here today. to get the community engaged around a couple of simple changes to someone's house or an entire house built from the ground up. we want to make their life easier, safer, just better.
9:15 am
>> i could not get my wheelchair in and out my front door because i had steps with no handrail. and it made me less of a social person. >> we're able to build a deck and a ramp. there used to be a concrete sidewalk here. we busted that up, got it out of here. doesn't sound like a lot, but the impact it made was tremendous. and their emotions are being rehabbed as well. >> they made me realize the challenges that i've had to endure meant something. >> they jump-started me back into life. purple heart homes said "welcome home." it's great to be home after 40 years. regardless of when you served, where you served, we're all the same. we're all veterans. they just need to know that
9:16 am
somebody does care about them. >> and it was a cnn heroes first. don't miss the incredible act of the generosity from a cnn hero that this year brought the audience to its feet. "cnn heroes: an all-star tribute" is tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. on cnn. ♪
9:17 am
[ male announcer ] if we could see energy... what would we see? ♪ the billions of gallons of fuel that get us to work. ♪ we'd see all the electricity flowing through the devices
9:18 am
that connect us and teach us. ♪ we'd see that almost 100% of medical plastics are made from oil and natural gas. ♪ and an industry that supports almost 10 million american jobs. life takes energy. and no one applies more technology to produce american energy and refine it more efficiently than exxonmobil. because using energy responsibly has never been more important. energy lives here. ♪ that coffee breaks down tooth enamel. thankfully, she uses act restoring mouthwash. it rebuilds tooth enamel, making your teeth two times stronger. act. smile strong.
9:19 am
9:20 am
a woman caught in the middle of a controversial case spent thanksgiving with had her family, getting out of prison just in time. marissa alexander was released on bond wednesday as she waits for a new trial. last year she was sentenced for 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot at her husband, who she claims abused her. the case made national headlines when she tried to use the stand your ground argument. nick valencia has been fooling the story. nick, what's her status? >> she's out on $150,000 bonds. spent about 1,000 days in jail. good news for her family and
9:21 am
supporters. she got to spend thanksgiving with her children. part of the argument of her lawyer was she wasn't able to see her baby since she was 6 months old. her new trial is set for 2014. >> the stand your ground law, how did that play into her getting out? >> her supporters tried to dlau this comparison between george zimmerman and her case. her case actually didn't receive that much attention until the zimmerman case came to light in 2012. her case was heavily underreported. they tried to say that there was a parallel there. she used a stand your ground defense. the court denied that, saying she went to the car, got a gun and shot at her husband. the prosecutors have maintained from day one it threatened the husband's life. >> she had an option to escape. >> that's right. she actually did, left the house and only to come back. in fact, legal experts might tell you that she probably will be reconvicted in this trial in
9:22 am
march. >> well, we will find out very shortly because, thank you very much, nick. let's bring in avery freeman, civil rights attorney, richard herman a new york criminal defense attorney and law professor joins us from lovely las vegas. avery, the new trial based on problems with jury instructions, it's not new evidence but could all of this attention the case has gotten help for a different outcome for this woman? >> well, i wonder because actually if you remember, the george zimmerman case there was an enormous amount of talk about stand your ground. it never was and neither is marissa alexander's. the fact is, the trial judge initially said, you know, she's got to prove her defense beyond a reasonable doubt. the jury was out for 12 minutes. no wonder it got reversed. as nick said it's going back to trial, but i think this is going to be a very tough one. i think we're going to look for a plea deal here. >> richard, do you agree? what do you think?
9:23 am
publicity help, hurt? >> miguel, here's the problem with the case. there are a lot of problems here. the initial plea bargain was a three-year deal which she rejected. florida has mandatory minimum sentencing. if you get convicted of an aggravated assault with a firearm, which makes it aggravated, there's no discretion by the judge. you must get 20 years in prison. so that's one issue to discuss in the public. here we're bringing up stand your ground because of the publicity with zimmerman. the zimmerman/trayvon martin case was not a stand your ground case and this isn't. if she goes with the stand your ground defense, she will be convicted again. she must go with a cassell doctrine defense. there was a restraining order against this man. she got the restraining order lifted and married him. then she moved out of the marital premises where he was living, went back there and slept with him, then when she had a fight with him she went into the garage and grabbed a
9:24 am
handgun and came back into the house. there was no fear of imminent, grave bodily harm or death. that's what you need for stand your ground. >> wait a minute. >> it doesn't fly here. >> two of the three judges on appeal said it should go back for retrial. again, because of the wrong instruction by the trial judge. that's why i'm in accord. there is tremendous complication for this defendant coming up. >> the wrong instruction dealt with the self-defense instruction that was given. that's what was faulty. >> that's right. >> but here it's not going to be a self-defense. she has to use a cassell doctrine in order to have any chance of beating this case. if they stick with stand your ground, she will be convicted again. >> it sounds like the defense has the bigger job to do here. avery, the defense is also citing civil rights issues. do you see as a civil rights attorney any grounds to make that argument? >> well, you know, they're saying that because they're comparing it to the george zimmerman case.
9:25 am
frankly, i don't understand the argument. there's no civil rights issue. everyone is the same race. her husband rico, it had nothing to do with race. ultimately i think this is a criminal trial, will go forward. unless prosecutors move those charges and a plea deal is struck. that's the only way she'll get out of this mess. >> on that plea deal, she had rejected one early on, richard. does this new trial open up the window for another one? >> there's always opportunities, miguel, for plea. but when you put the government to the test and you make them spend the money to prosecute and actually go to trial, you know, the offers are not as good as they were from the beginning. >> they don't like it. >> they don't. >> that's right. >> there may be an offer, maybe five years on the table now. but her story has a lot of holes in it. it doesn't stand up to the evidence and the csi at the crime scene. she's got big problems. if she goes again with stand your ground, she will be convicted and get 20 years. >> wow. >> and there's no civil rights
9:26 am
case. >> no. >> you guys are passionate about this one, clearly. our legal eagles for this week legal turkeys, stick around. that was really cheesy. >> that hurt. an outrageous case that affects anyone who buys anything onli online. a woman who wrote a negative review online and now she's facing a fine for it. details coming up.
9:27 am
9:28 am
9:29 am
health officials in nevada are trying to figure out what got nearly 100 youth football players while visiting las vegas for a tournament. 13 kids and 5 adults were staying at the rio hotel were taken to the hospital with flu-like illnesses. some thought food poisoning was to blame, but the football team's manager says the people who got sick did not share a common meal.
9:30 am
a spokesman for the sportsnet work international calls the sickness unfortunate but says it is fairly common for viruses to hit entire teams. and in montana it is fighting to get a former teacher back behind bars after he served only a month for raping a student. a 14-year-old girl who later killed herself. state prosecutors have appealed the judge's 30-day rape sentence handed down to stacy dean arguing the sentence was illegal under state law. and a utah woman says she was just a little annoyed when her husband ordered something online and never got it. then she became really frustrated when she couldn't get in touch with anyone from the company so she wrote a negative review online to warn other shoppers. and she was stunned when the company slapped her with a fine. pamela brown has more. >> reporter: john palmer bought a few christmas gifts for his wife jen in 2008 on clear
9:31 am
gear.com. never imagining he'd still be paying the price five years later. the palmers say the items they ordered never arrived. the transaction was canceled. >> after 30 days or so, pay pal said there's no activity here and they turned around and gave the money back to my husband's account and effectively canceled the sale. >> reporter: after repeated calls to clear gear to find out what happened, jen palmer posted this review of the company on rip-off report.com saying, in part, there is absolutely no way to get in touch with a physical human being. no extensions work. fast-forward 3 1/2 years. the palmers received this e-mail appearing to be from clear gear stating they'd be fined $3,500, that the negative review if the it wasn't taken down in 72 hours. >> we were shocked someone would attempt to do this. it's ridiculous that anyone would turn around and try to extort us like this. >> reporter: have you ever heard of anything like this? >> i've never heard of anything
9:32 am
like this happening only because retailers mainly protect the consumer. >> reporter: the e-mail cited this on stur nondisparagement claws in the terms of use product, your acceptance of this sales contract prohibits you from taking any action that negatively impacts clear gear.com. legal experts add more companies are adding this language in the fine print as protection. >> the first amendment does not protect certain kinds of free speech. and you can sign a contract giving away your free speech rights if it's a fair contract. this contract, though, is not fair and frankly it would be thrown out by any court. >> reporter: we found other examples of nondisparagement clauses in customer agreements including this one from a vacation rental company threatening to charge companies unto $10,000 in damages if a post containing unreasonable negative sentiment isn't removed. the company told cnn it stands by its practice. the palmers couldn't take down the review and refused to pay
9:33 am
up. klear gear then reported the bills as unpaid to a collections company. >> it was bad enough that when we went to get a second car it took them a month to find a bank willing to finance us because of the huge ding this puts on our credit. >> reporter: cnn tried multiple phone numbers listed on klear gear's web site, all disconnected. they responded via e-mail defending its actions. the palmers say they're taking their fight all the way to court. >> we don't want them to get away with this. apparently we're not the only people that they have done this to. we're just the only ones who are fighting back. we're not giving up. >> can you see the steam coming out of my ears? that's ridiculous. the better business bureau says it's investigating and has put the company on alert. and thankfully our legal guys are back, avery friedman in cleveland, richard herman in lovely las vegas. avery, this is ridiculous. they can't get away with this,
9:34 am
can they, the company? >> let me tell you something. i am so proud of the palmers because the only way this is going to be taken care of is if they go to court. the fact is their nondisparagement negative inclusions in the so-called user contracts, these people click agree and never read the stuff. ultimately that winds up on the credit report for the palmers. they're going to court. that provision will be held unconscionable unenforceable, it will be cleared up but at the end of the day, this happens over and over again and it is a real consumer problem. >> to hear about it on the eve before the eve of cyber monday is really upsetting to me personally. richard, is this family just going to win outright and klear gear going to be punished itself? >> miguel, here's the situation. with all due respect to my dear colleague avery and paul callan both wrong.very well, they're - these nondisparagement clauses are absolutely enforcement, and
9:35 am
it's buyer beware. if you sign a contract, you agree to purchase terms, and that provision is in there, you will be bound by it. >> oh, come on! bargaining power, richard! >> cyberspace is enormous. it can create tremendous damages. they're seeking to protect themselves. here the problem is this, miguel. this provision was not in the agreement at the time these people purchased their $25 ornament. it was not there. it was put there three years after their purchase. so this family will win. >> the company is going to lose. >> they'll win. the claim will not be enfor enforceable. >> you're in vegas, richard. we're taking bets on this one. >> that sounds like scrooge talking. >> it's not scrooge it's legal law. these clauses are enforceable. >> no way. >> you have to be careful what you buy. >> we agree to a lot. we all hit okay, okay, okay
9:36 am
online. avery, is there something that folks can do to protect themselves? >> don't do that. >> come on! are you going to read through 35 pages of documents before you buy something? >> richard just said, yeah, don't do that. well, everybody does it, i'm sure. >> pay the price. >> ultimately they'll have to challenge it in court. he's right on that. but the fact is, i think it's unconscionable and i think a court will invalidate it and clear their credit record. >> richard, you're so smart, what should consumers do avoiding this with online reviews and falling into this legal situation? >> read everything very carefully, like all our pa paralegal students do. don't buy from companies like this. they had a b-rating. they weren't a great company. don't buy from them. there's so much competition out there. stay away from these clauses. these are devastating clauses and they are enforceable, miguel. trust me. don't listen to avery. >> they don't know that. >> this is enforceable. >> avery friedman, richard the
9:37 am
scrooge herman, thank you very much. hope to see you, if i don't see you before christmas, merry christmas. >> despite calling us legal turkeys, you do a great job, miguel. >> i apologize, guys. thank you. it's no secret. mafia assassins are ruthless. but in italy there could be a breed of gangsters that are far worse. the shocking details of how an alleged mobster killed his rival.
9:38 am
9:39 am
9:40 am
9:41 am
the u.s. is offering to take the most lethal parts of syria's chemical stockpile and destroy them at sea. it is expected to happen aboard a u.s. navy ship. the chemicals will be diluted, the goal is to remove the most dangerous chemicals from the country by december 31st. as far as mafia killings go, this one has got to be one of the more gruesome. police in southern italy say.
9:42 am
>> reporter: it sounds straight out of the imagination of a holiday script writer, but this is not fiction. the police say a member of one of italy's most notorious organized crime fed a rival beganster live to the pigs. fed a rival gangster live to the pigs. they say that in the course of a crackdown on organized crime in the southern part of the country, they monitored a phone conversation by one who they say was behind the murder and has now been arrested. they say he told friends that now his bosses will appreciate his work. according to the transcript released by the police, he said it was satisfying to hear him scream momma mia how he
9:43 am
screamed. they say pigs always leave something behind. but i saw nothing. nothing was left. i said these pigs really can eat. now, this killing is part of a feud that goes back more than 60 years and has left dozens of people dead. this, however, is the first murder it seems done with the participation of a pig. ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >> oh, i guess thank you for bringing us that. terrible, thank you, ben. it's rare to find a happy story in the aftermath of a tornado, but this is one. for nine days this pit bull puppy lay waiting buried under a pile of rubble after a tornado ripped through the town of washington, illinois. his owner national guardsman jacob montgomery spent days scouring the wreckage looking for his dog. when he got a phone call from a neighbor, a rescue group had found his little dexter incredibly alive and well.
9:44 am
very sweet. obama care has its supporters and it certainly has its critics. in this case, the critic is mike tyson. in a minute, i'll tell you why the former heavyweight champ is coming out against the president's health care plan and he'll share his thoughts on the knockout game. a side of tyson you've never seen, and it is next from the "cnn newsroom" to your living room.
9:45 am
9:46 am
9:47 am
former heavyweight boxing champ is a lot of thing, convicted felon, boxer and even had a one-man show on broadway. he spoke with piers morgan about his new book. >> joining me is the one and only mike tyson who tells his story in his new book and film. mike, great to have you back. how are you? >> awesome. feel great. >> mike, this knockout game, not
9:48 am
really a game because people have been killed by it. >> have they been? >> yes. people are losing lives where the kids around america doctdocto -- >> i'm familiar with it. >> what do you make of it? >> i don't make anything of it. it doesn't make sense. it's a game to some people. i don't think it's cool. they're not -- i saw one guy hit a woman, a girl, from behind. >> would you ever -- when you grew up on the streets of brooklyn -- have done something like that? >> oh, yeah, if i'm robbing someone, i've done something like that. but this is just for fun. there's no purpose. i saw someone hit a woman. i would never hit a girl. i can't imagine. the only thing i can imagine is that being my daughter or my wife. >> why do people do it, do you think? >> i have no idea. i don't have no idea. maybe they're just evil.
9:49 am
just some evil people. >> last time you came on the show i talked to you about health care. we had this exchange. when you go back to your old streets and meet your old guys and so on whashgs t do you thin real cares and fears of the average american on the street are right now? >> health care. there's people that haven't been to the doctor in 20 years, haven't seen the doctor because they can't afford it. man, there's hunger, homelessness. we're talking about the land of plenty. it's just difficult. we're in dire straits right now as far as hope. i believe obama and mr. biden, vice president, give people in that desperational need that hope. >> now, since then, it was a year ago, obviously they tried to do this with obama care.
9:50 am
>> it just really went horrible, didn't it? >> yeah. >> it's really bad. >> i mean, the idea behind it, you would be supportive of the idea of bringing millions of americans into health care who wouldn't otherwise able to afford it? >> if they can get the health care. but as of now it doesn't seem as though they could get it. i was for it 100%, but we come to the reality that it didn't work. >> when you saw barack obama, the first african-american president in the country's history staring down at cameras repeatedly before all this happened saying, if you want to keep your doctor or your plan, you can do that, now it turns out that's completely untrue. he basically told a falsehood, does that diminish him to you? does it reduce his standing as a president? >> well, maybe as a president. i don't know what it takes to become a president. i don't know how many butts or how much you've got to be a brown-noser to be a president,
9:51 am
you know. but just from his symbol of looking at him, a black man in america being the president, the most powerful man in the world, it's very positive for young black kids like my son. but the reality of this plan, it didn't work. so we have to find another plan. >> a lot of african-americans have come on my show, notable ones, and said how disappointed they are that barack obama hasn't done enough for african-americans in this country in the time he's been president. do you think that's a fair criticism from what you hear on the streets? >> well, listen, we've got to stop being involved with the knockout game. we have to conduct ourselves as respectable african-americans. i'm not blaming obama. it has nothing to do with obama. he's the president of the united states and he's supposed to help us? that's never happened in history. no president has ever cared
9:52 am
about the african-american community. i don't think that's ever going to happen. i'm just talking as a black man, a person that lives on this planet for, what, 47 years and watched the struggles through african-american communities. >> when you see so many young african-american teenage boys in particular in somewhere like chicago shooting each other up -- >> doesn't have to be chicago. could be anywhere. >> right. but the particular issue of gun violence amongst young black teenagers in america, what do you do? how do you tackle that? >> listen, it was meant that way. that's why the jails are full of us. it's for the gun charges, for nonviolent charges. more of us are in jail for nonviolent offenses than violent offenses. you have to look at the rockefeller law. there's more african-americans and minorities in prison for nonviolent crime and doing more time than the violent offenders are doing. double life sentence, triple
9:53 am
life sentence, that's another issue in itself. it's just in my own recollection that's just the way it is. it's always been that way. >> what does america do about guns generally, dow think? >> everybody is going to get guns. what do you think they're going to do with guns everybody will have guns. >> can it go on and on like that? just more and more guns? >> white people have guns, too. white people shoot people, too. everybody has guns. that's what happened to trayvon martin. he got shot and more kids way before him have been shot by people who legally own guns. if they believe that, most black people said, if i'm going to get killed like that, i need guns to have self-defense. if everyone gives their guns away, we're just sitting ducks. we can't have guns we're felons. we can't defend ourselves, our
9:54 am
families? because we're felons, we have to defend our family after the fact? no. people are going to have guns and defend themselves. it's just really bad. we're really -- we're in a country where there's more guns than there are people. it's really bad and it's really scary. >> we had a big debate on the show a week ago, i think it was, about the use of the "n" word in america now. whether it would help if the black community also stopped using that word, rappers and so on. you use it quite a lot on stage, in the book a bit as well. what is your view about that debate? >> people are going to do what they want to do in life and have nothing to do about what our community do. we have to think about how this word originated, where it came from, and just because we've stopped saying it doesn't stop them from saying it. why are they mad we're saying it? because they can't say it? it's going to be abe double standard if they say it whether we say it amongst each other.
9:55 am
ive don't know. you tell me. i don't plan on stop saying it anytime soon. >> watch piers morgan weeknights at 9:00 p.m. eastern. their story is amazing, tales of a bright light, peace and angels. a look at what happens when people say they have been to heaven and back. dry, itchy winter skin?
9:56 am
cortizone-10 has the strongest nonprescription itch medicine plus moisturizers to help heal skin fast. cortizone-10. feel the heal.
9:57 am
plus moisturizers to help heal skin fast. [announcer]...if you think the best bed for one of you might be a compromise for the other one... [woman]ask me about our tempur-pedic. [announcer] they're sleeping on the newest tempur-pedic bed... the new tempur choice... [man]two people.two remotes. [announcer] firmness settings for the head,legs,and back... and with tempur on top,that famous tempur-pedic comfort comes any way you like it! [woman]ask me about the lumbar button. [man]she's got her side...and i've got my side. [announcer] tempur-pedic.the most highly recommended bed in america. [woman]don't touch my side!
9:58 am
everyone has their own vision of heaven. over my shoulder here you see how the director of the film "resurrection" sees it. tomorrow night anderson cooper brings us the fascinating story of three people who came close to clinical death and say they actually went somewhere, or at least -- >> 17,000 subscribers. that's insane. >> what was it about making
9:59 am
videos your brother loved so much? >> his strong connection to people. that's the reason why he gravitated towards giving advice to teens, is he genuinely wanted to help them out. he became a little bit of a local celebrity, especially with the girls. >> it doesn't matter how a person looks, if they have braces or acne or anything like that. what matters is their personality. i have a really big challenge in my life. i have a heart condition. it's called hyper trove ick cardio myopathy. and i have a pacemaker. >> do you remember that day that you got the diagnosis, what you felt? >> yes, i do, because it was very scary. the doctor just very clearly stated, he has this condition. there's no cure. we'll have to be careful throughout his life. >> how nervous were you that he could die? >> i was afraid every day that i'd go downstairs or go to his
10:00 am
bedroom and he may have passed away in the middle of the night. >> i remember the paramedics gathering around ben and measuring all types of vitals and that sort of thing. >> the ambulance arrived, and they put him into the back of the ambulance with my mom. >> there was a moment there where you just let go. >> there was a point in there where i realized that the answer to my prayer maybe was going to be, i'm going to take him home to heaven. finally they were wheeling him from the e.r. to a regular room, and i was walking alongside the gurney holding